The Rangers currently have five defensemen under the age of
28 on their roster and two more top prospects on the way, so it’s very likely
New York will be looking to add some offensive firepower with its first-round
pick, No. 15 overall in the NHL Draft.

Between now and June 24th, we’ll take a look at some of the
forwards that the Rangers might be thinking about taking on draft
day. Today, we look at…

THN – “Czech
Republic hockey has had a
rough go of late when it comes to prospects, but Dmitri Jaskin is at the head
of a resurgence.The big banger of a
right winger played against men in the top Czech league this season and held
his own.Born in Russia,
Jaskin’s father was a pro player in the Czech league and the son grew up there
from the age of six months.He missed
the WJC due to a knee injury, but his profile is still high for someone playing
in a league with few other prospects.‘He’s strong, has good size, competes, finishes his hits and uses his
body well,’ said one scout.‘And the
frame is good; you can build on it.’Skating and the quickness of his first step are two areas Jaskin needs
to improve upon, but with his size and competitive nature, he brings a lot to
the table.Plus, he’s at his best in
traffic.The Calgary Hitmen own his CHL
rights and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him join them next year.”

The Scouting Report – “Jaskin is a tough player to get a
read on as he has a tremendous skill-set, but doesn’t bring it consistently
enough. The big Czech winger had an up and down season and had a lot riding on
the Under 18’s, where he was fairly average over the course of the tournament.
His season never quite took off after an early season injury, but when he’s on,
he is a talented winger who can play with a bit of jam. His status as a
surefire first round pick has probably come and gone, but there’s a lot to like
for any team that is picking in the late part of the first round.”

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch –“Aside from the skating, this kid
has everything you want in a power forward. He found the back of the net three
times in the tourney and can really rip it, with a rapid release, heavy shot
and good accuracy. He bulls his way to the dirty areas of the ice and has a
nose for the net. We really respect his intensity and effort levels, even
though he doesn't have the smooth skating stride and agility/speed that are
ideal in a top-15 candidate. However, he protects the puck well and makes up
for his lack of foot speed with excellent anticipation and a passion for the
game. First rounder? Yes. All that remains is to discover which team is
confident enough that they can fix some of the flaws in his skating to help him
become the kind of player he has some real potential to be in the NHL one day.”

Corey Pronman - "Dmitrij Jaskin has gone under the radar this draft season
due to playing in the Czech Republic all year and not making an international
appearance until the Under-18's due to injury, but make no mistake that this is
a prospect who should be on everybody's radars. Jaskin is a very well-rounded
prospect and one who projects well down the line. Coming in over six feet tall
and with a well filled out 200 pound frame, Jaskin's physical game projects as
above-average and may even touch plus when he's physically matured. He brings
it every shift and makes like hectic on opposing defenders with hard checks
along the wall, planting himself firmly in front of the goalie's field of
vision, and a solid puck protector who loves to stiff arm and drive the play to
the net. He has solid puck skills that are above-average for a forward his size
and while he isn't a flashy player, he is capable of doing pro-level
stick-handling and he can come off the half-wall on the power play and
distribute. Jaskin had a hard shot which he doesn't refrain from using and has
multiple weapons in his wrist shot and slap shot. His hockey sense is solid as
well, especially from a defensive perspective which is aided as well by the
fact he shows a notable work ethic in his own end and on the backcheck. His
only liability is his skating tool which grades as fringe to below-average,
although there's nothing mechanically wrong that I've noticed and it does look
fixable to an extent."

Hockey’s Future – “One of the most mysterious and enigmatic
players this draft has to offer, Jaskin was the player that most scouts were
the most eager to take notes on. He started the tournament out strong but
really faded after that. At times he looked disinterested and lethargic, which
are the exact opposite adjectives that have been used to describe him for most
of the season. Jaskin has allowed many players of a similar style and mould to
leap past him and his status as a 1st round pick is now in serious jeopardy.”

THN.com – “The son of a hockey player, Jaskin has impressed
scouts with his competitiveness, his strength and his willingness to finish
hits. The fact he’s playing against men back home has helped those areas of his
game.‘It is certainly better for my
development to play against older players,’ Jaskin said. ‘I have no problem
with either the power or the technical play.’One thing the right winger would like to get better at is skating, but
he’s already contributing offensively to his Slavia team with three goals and
nine points in 30 games. Playing an all-round game is important to the
youngster and it shows in his NHL influences.‘I notice shooters as much as any viewer,’ Jaskin said. ‘But I also
notice defensive players. I love to watch Pavel Datsyuk and how magic he is
with the puck.’”

USA
Today – “Every time we see him he just fills the net. And he hasn't even filled
out his huge frame yet, so there's a boatload of upside still waiting to be
tapped.”

Thoughts: Jaskin seems like a very intriguing guy.He’s already built and has shown a gritty
side in addition to his offensive ability.His hockey sense and drive are not in question, but will they be enough
to overcome suspect skating?Jaskin is a
bit of a project, and maybe less of a sure-thing than teams are looking for in
the top-20 of the draft.However, he has
the potential to far exceed his draft slot.

Though the Rangers prefer to select from the Canadian junior
leagues and the college ranks, they’ve shown that if the right European-league
player catches their eye they will spend a high-pick on him.Jaskin is another boom or bust guy, but the
Rangers haven’t been afraid to swing for the fences.